River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-08-25
Social Pushing
But Violet knew.

Boston Letter: That the most humil-
iating feature of modern society is to be
found in the articles of those who wish
to ''get on" in the fashionable world
has often enough been remarked, yet
there is still room enough for amaze
ment at the ingenuity of the devices to
which the snobs viii resort. We have
had a good many weddings recently in
the neighborhood of Boston, and among
other brides of high social position has
been Miss ", whose family is
rather noted for its exclusiveness.
When the invitations for the wedding
We're sent out Mrs. A., woman who is
really devoured by social ambition, was
not included in the list of guests. She
met Mrs. X, and had somewhat over
stepped the strict proprieties of etiquette
in the manner in which she had called
upon that exclusive lady.
Now. she was doubtless much cha
grined at not receiving a card for a we'd
ding which was to be a very large one,
but she was by no means ready to aDand-
on the field. On the day after the in
vitations went out, Mrs. A. sent Miss
X, valuable and well selected piece
of plate as wedding gift. Miss X,
in the privacy of circle of intimate
friends. declared that she should not
have the present. 1t was urged upon
her that she certainly could not return
it.
but will not acknowledge it, she
declared angrily.
but then, my dear" her mother
said, '.you will be putting yourself in
the wrong. You can not be rude, and
especially to a nobody like Mrs. A."
II don't care" PERSISTED the daugh-
ter, Il will not have her any way.
This is my wedding, and | will have
whom please. She can't buy an in
vitation with her old trumpery present.
But, of course, in the end. Mrs. A.
was invited. and she appeared at the
wedding with the air of being the most
intimate friend of the family. 1t amused
those who knew the story, but Mrs. A.
is clever enough TO make the fact that
she was there tell for a good deal in
her struggle up the social heights.
A still more amazing trick was re-
sorted to by a Boston lady this summer
to get to a reception where she wished
to appear. She wrote to the hostess,
to whom she had never even been pre-
scented, that she had lady high in
Washington society staying with her,
and that it was so much the custom in
Washington to attend receptions unin-
vited that her friend had seen no i'm
propriety in telling some acquaintance
| that she would meet them at this
/ gathering. The note went on to say
that as hostess the writer was put in so
awkward a position that she had ven
tured to Law the case before the lady
giving the entertainment, hoping that
She would be willing to send cards to
herself and the stranger. On this occa-
/ sion the scheme was a failure. The
note was answered merely by formal
regret that the list of guests having been
made up before the receipt of Mrs.-'s
note it was impossible to comply with
her request. The lady from Washing
ton probably never knew of the use
made of her name. At least she did not
present herself ut the reception.
And speaking of the Washington vice
of intruding upon social gatherings,
which has become so much of a scandal
that it is strange hostesses at the capital
donot in self defense resort to the de-
vice of demanding cards at the door.
A lady of that city told me recently of
her own experience.
II sent out invitations" she said.
Ito 500. Anywhere but in Washington
that would have meant about 600 guests.
| ordered supper for 1000. About
l, 200 came. When supper was served
a mob precipitated itself on the dining
room. and. of course, the unlimited
were first on hand. Not very long
after | went myself TO see that the wife
of Senator O.. hom | especially want
ed to be polite to. had something to eat.
The dining-roOm looked as if il had
been sacked by a famished army,
looked about, and said to her: Mrs
Q. there is a candle on that table, if
YOU are Russian enough to eat il; and
there is half an orange. That is posi-
lively all that was left. and the caterer
said / was fortunate that the mob did
not carry off the dishes and the furni-
ture Party giving in Washington has
come to mere opening your house to n
mob of people yoa wouldn't know for
the world. and for my part / am sick of
it. shall give dinner parties hereafter.
| That viii take care of the people most
care about and the rest must 90.
Happily we have not come TO this in
Boston but people do make frantic
efforts to get into the proper sets, re-